


Understanding

by theron09



Category: Leverage
Genre: Community: leverageland, Ficlet, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-02
Updated: 2014-06-02
Packaged: 2018-02-03 03:42:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1729862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theron09/pseuds/theron09
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The third time Eliot and Quinn meet, they’re on a more equal footing. (Ficlet - written for a challenge at leverageland)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Understanding

The first time Quinn meets Eliot they fight, breaking ribs and causing bruises.  
  
The second time they meet, Eliot’s bailing him out of a bad situation, and then he’s helping Eliot and his team out of one in return.  
  
The third time, they’re on a more equal footing. No-one working for anyone else, no-one calling in favours, just the two of them randomly bumping into one another in a bar. Quinn loves coincidences.   
  
“It must be different with just the three of you,” he says, placing the beers he’s just bought on the table in front of Eliot before sitting down. They’re onto their fourth round now, but the night’s still young and Quinn’s enjoying the unexpected meeting.   
  
Eliot leans back in his chair. “It is. It’s good, though. Parker’s doing well, we’re still doing plenty of jobs.”  
  
“Fighting the good fight.” Quinn laughs softly, shaking his head. “You’re a better man than me, Spencer.”  
  
Eliot scoffs. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that – I’ve got a history.”  
  
“Haven’t we all?” He doesn’t ask what Eliot’s is; he knows he wouldn’t answer if the tables were flipped. Quinn’s fairly sure he’s never tell anybody half of the things he’s done in his life, because they aren’t things that can be forgiven.   
  
“Guess it comes with the hitter territory.”  
  
Quinn doesn’t say anything in reply to that, takes a long drink from his beer instead.   
  
“Do you ever wish you’d done something else?” asks Eliot, suddenly, surprisingly, personal. “Been, I don’t know, a lawyer or a builder or a teacher.”  
  
“Do you?”   
  
“Those kind of regrets don’t help anyone.”  
  
Quinn shrugs. “But we still have them.”  
  
Eliot nods, their eyes meeting and there’s understanding in the gaze. It’s not often Quinn is around someone who understands. Daring, because if Eliot  _is_  like him then he needs this too, he stretches out his leg under the table and rubs his foot against Eliot’s.   
  
There’s a moment where Eliot’s eyes narrow and Quinn thinks he’s read the signals wrong, and then they’re both moving, tossing money on the table and heading for privacy with an urgency Quinn hasn’t felt in a long time.   
  
They don’t trust one another, but they do understand where the other’s coming from – for that, Quinn can trust Eliot with  _this_. 


End file.
